Paul D. Mathias is a fifth-generation Hoosier who deeply believes that Indiana is a special place to live. He is honored to serve on the Court of Appeals, where he strives daily to reflect and protect Hoosier values within the law.

Judge Mathias practiced law in Fort Wayne, concentrating in construction law, personal injury, and appellate practice. He was appointed Referee of the Allen County Small Claims Court in 1985 and served as Judge of the Allen Superior Court from 1989-2000 when he was appointed to the Court of Appeals. He was retained by election to the court in 2002 and 2012.

Judge Mathias’s professional achievements are rooted in a strong education. He attended public schools in Fort Wayne, where he was a National Merit Finalist and college scholarship recipient. In 1976 Judge Mathias graduated cum laude from Harvard University with a bachelor’s degree in General Studies, concentrating in Government. He earned his law degree in 1979 from Indiana University School of Law-Bloomington, where he was a member of the Sherman Minton Moot Court Team and the Order of Barristers.

Judge Mathias was an officer of the Indiana Judges Association from 1993-1999 and its president from 1997-1999. He is deeply honored to be one of only 92 Hoosiers to receive the Centennial Service Award from the Indiana State Bar Association, and he was named a Sagamore of the Wabash by two governors.

Judge Mathias is keenly interested in the intersection of law and technology and often consults and speaks on tech topics to attorneys and judges. Throughout the 2000s, he helped select and implement the Odyssey Case Management System that brought the management of Indiana's court records into the 21st Century. More recently, Judge Mathias has been appointed by the Indiana Supreme Court to lead a statewide court technology effort, including implementation of e-filing.

Judge Mathias is a longtime supporter of We the People, a national civics education program sponsored in Indiana by the Indiana Bar Foundation. He coaches high school We the People teams in Indiana’s 5th Congressional District and helps organize We the People competitions in the 3rd Congressional District. In 2010, he received the Indiana Bar Foundation’s William G. Baker Civic Education Award for his contributions to civics education.

Judge Mathias has been married for 39 years and is the proud father of two sons who teach at the high school level in Indiana. His wife, Carlabeth, an Indiana public school teacher and counselor for 30 years, now has a private practice in which she counsels children and families and serves as a consultant to schools throughout Indiana.

Judge Mathias enjoys Macintosh computers, technology in general and photography. He also enjoys spending many Saturdays during the school year helping to build theatrical sets for Hamilton Southeastern High School.

Learn about Indiana's Court System

The Indiana Constitution divides state government into three branches: the Legislative, the Executive and the Judicial. The Constitution provides that the Judicial power of the State is vested in a Supreme Court, a Court of Appeals, Circuit Courts and such other courts as the General Assembly may establish. Read More »

Business Hours & Holidays

Appellate Courts and offices are open Monday - Friday, 8:30am to 4:30pm.